Press Release

This week's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report includes the article Update: Investigation of Bioterrorism-Related Anthrax in the
United States and Other Countries. This week's issue also includes a Notice to Readers regarding "Update: Recommendations for
Postexposure Prophylaxis and Treatment of Children and Pregnant Women with Bacillus anthracis Infection." The MMWR is available
online at www.cdc.gov/mmwr.

The transcript from today's telebriefing with Dr. Julie Gerberding is available online. Today's briefing was also webcast and the audio clip
is also available online. Both transcript and audio clip are accessible from www.cdc.gov/media.

Telebriefings regarding CDC activities and the anthrax investigations will be conducted during the entire month of November, on Monday
through Friday, from Noon - 12:45 PM, EST. The toll-free number for these briefings is 1-866-254-5942. For the latest update on CDC activities
and on-going anthrax investigations visit www.bt.cdc.gov or www.cdc.gov/media.

CDC defines a confirmed case of anthrax as 1) a clinically compatible case of cutaneous, inhalational, or gastrointestinal illness
that is laboratory confirmed by isolation of B. anthracis from an affected tissue or site or 2) other laboratory evidence of B.
anthracis infection based on at least two supportive laboratory tests. CDC defines a suspect case as 1) a clinically compatible case
of illness without isolation of B. anthracis and no alternative diagnosis, but with laboratory evidence of B. anthracis by one
supportive laboratory test or 2) a clinically compatible case of anthrax epidemiologically linked to a confirmed environmental exposure, but
without corroborative laboratory evidence of B. anthracis infection.